Automobile starting-crank



G. E. AND E. W. FRITZ.

AUTOMOBILE STARTING CRANK.

PPPLlCATlON FILED FEB. R1920- 1,364,270. Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

UNITED STATES .tA'lENT @IFMQE.

GEORGE E. FRITZ AND EDJVARD W. FRITZ, OF GLEN MILLS, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMOBILE STARTING-CRANK.

Application filed February 1'7, 1920,

To all whom it. may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE E. FRITZ and EDWARD V. Fnrrz, citizens of the United States, residing at Glen Mills, in the county of Delaware, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and. useful Improvements in Automobile Starting- Cranks; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This. invention relates to new and useful improvements in cranks and particularly to starting cranks for automobiles.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved starting crank which will not fly backward, when the engine backfires, and injure the operator.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved device of this character which is simple in construction, easy to operate, and which is effective in its action to protect the operator from injury.

A further object is to provide a novel and improved starting crank which is au tomatic in its operation to prevent retrograde movement in the event of backiiring of the engine, and which will automatically reset itself for ordinary use after such operation.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the starting crank, and adjacent portions of the automobile and engine shaft.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same, partly broken away to expose the pawl and ratchet.

Fig. 4 is a vertical central sectional view on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Referring particularly to the accompanying drawing, 10 represents a bar which extends transversely of the front end of the chassis of the automobile and has an opening 11 therethrough for the passage of the starting crank. The inner portion of this opening is circular while the outer portion is square, the latter portion, as shown at 12 being counter sunk into the outer face of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4:, 1921.

Serial No. 359,369.

the bar. Through the opening of the bar is disposed the stem 13 on the outer end of which is rotatably secured the forked end 14: of the. crank 15. This stem has the usual clutch face 16 on its inner end for engagement with the clutch face 17 of the engine shaft 18. Rotatably engaged on the stem, outwardly of the bar, and formed with a square shank 19 for engagement in the square socket 12, is a ratchet wheel 20. Disposed through the legs of the forked end of the crank is a shaft 21, and secured to and movable with this shaft, within the opening between the said legs, is a pawl 22 which engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 23 secured to the outer end of the stem 13. This wheel 23 is rotatably disposed between the legs of the forked end of the crank, as shown, so that when the crank is turned in one direction, this pawl will engage with the ratchet wheel and cause the turning of the stem, and the turning over of the engine.

Secured on the shaft 21, and arranged to rock therewith, is a block 24:, having its outer end bifurcated, at 25, and in which bifurcation is pivoted the pawl 26, said pawl engaging with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 20. This wheel is held against rotation by the engagement of its square shank in the socket 12, the pawl sliding idly over its teeth when the crank is turned, as in cranking the engine. Connected to the pawl 26 and to the block 24:, is a spring 27 which holds the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel.

In the operation of the device, when the crank is turned, as in cranking the engine, the pawl 22 engages with the ratchet wheel 23 so that the engine shaft will be rotated. -Fahould the engine backfire, with the usual retrograde turning of the engine shaft, the motion would be communicated to the crank with the result that the same would be thrown backwardly in the hand of the operator. Ordinarily this would result in injury to the operator. It will be noted that the teeth of the ratchet wheels 20 and 23 extend in opposite directions, with the necessary opposite disposition of the pawls 22 and 26. By this arrangement, when the engine shaft throws the crank backward, the pawl 26 will engage with the teeth of the wheel 20 and cause the block to rock the pivot and release the pawl 22 from the teeth of the ratchet wheel 23, thus permitting the engine shaft to freely rotate the stem in the crank, While the crank remains stationary in the hand of the operator, and the operator protected from any injury.

What is claimed is:

1. A safety starting crank for an automobile engine comprising a stationary member, a stem rotatable and slidable through the stationary member, a crank rotatable on the stem, a ratchet wheel on the stem, a pawl carried by the crank and engaging the ratchet wheel, a second ratchet wheel arranged on the stem and slidable therewith into and out of engagement with the stationary member, and a pawl engaging the second ratchet wheel and connected with the first pawl for disengaging the first pawl upon retrograde rotation of the stem and crank.

2. A safety starting crank for an automobile engine comprising a stationary member, a stem rotatable and slidable in the stationary member, a ratchet member carried loosely on the stem and slidable therewith to be engaged with and held against rotation by the stationary member, a crank rotatable on the stem, a ratchet member r0- tatable with the stem, a pawl carried by the crank and operatively engaged with the last-named ratchet member, a block associated with and movable with the said pawl, a pawl carried by the block and e11- gaging with the first ratchet, said block being arranged to be rocked under the influence of the retrograde movement of the stem to disengage the second-named pawl to permit the stem to rotate freely within the crank.

3. A safety starting crank for an automobile engine comprising a stationary member having an opening therethrough and an angular countersunk portion, a stem rotatable in the opening, a crank rotatable on the stem, a ratchet having an angular hub engaged in the said countersink and held against rotation, a shaft rotatable in the crank, a pawl on the shaft, a ratchet rigidly carried by the stem and rotatable within the crank and engaged by said pawl, a block carried by the said shaft, a pawl on the block engaging the first ratchet, said lastnamed pawl being arranged to rock the block to disengage the first pawl when the stem is turned backward.

In testimony whereof, we afiix our signatures, in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. FRITZ. EDWARD W. FRITZ. Witnesses:

SARAH J. MINSHALL, WM. H. TRICKER. 

